Powder dispenser



Dec. 7, 1937. VANDERVELD 2,101,375

POWDER DI SPENSER Filed June 29, 1936 h fll Anfiwn Vanewdd Niome, s

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 29,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to powder dispensing and is more particularly concerned with the dispensing of a limited amount of powder, such as tooth powder, from a receptacle which holds a large quantity thereof and applying it to a tooth brush whereby a very simple, effective and practical device is produced for such purpose, and in the operation thereof waste of powder is substantially eliminated. I

It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a powder dispenser of the character stated which is particularly practical and effective in use, is very economical to manufacture and by means of which the powder in a substantially definite quantity may be dispensed and applied to a brush Without appreciable waste. The invention for the attainment of the objects stated as well as others not at this time enumerated, will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a powder containing receptacle having my invention applied to the closing cover of said containing receptacle.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the dispensing apparatus on the plane of line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the receptacle cover and the dispensing apparatus associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section and underplan view substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, similar to Fig. 2, enlarged to show the detail of pivotal mounting of the dispensing lever.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The powder can or receptacle l is of a conventional structure open at its top and tightly closed by a cover 2 in the usual manner. In the application of my invention to the cover, the cover is modified by cutting a powder escape opening 3 therethrough as shown, and stamping a shallow well 4, the well being used to receive one end of a coiled compression spring as will later appear.

At the upper side of the cover 2 and at its central portion a U-shaped support is located comprising a horizontal section 5 which lies against the top of the cover and vertical legs 6 bent upwardly one from each end of the section 5. At a number of spaced apart points, two being shown, the metal of the horizontal section 51s upset and 1936, Serial No. 87,848

extruded at its lower side so as to provide integral projections l of small diameter which are passed through openings in the cover 2 and headed over at their inner ends thereby permanently attaching the support to the cover. I

In each of the legs 6 an opening 8 is pierced which while of very nearly circular outline is slightlyflattened at its upper side as shown in Fig. 6. On the support thus described a powder dispensing lever is pivotally mounted. The lever is made from sheet metal having an upper side, 9 with spaced vertical sides l0 turned downwardly therefrom to pass alongside the legs 6 of the support previously described. The lever is continued in a downwardly and outwardly extending arm II which terminates in an inverted frusto-conioal closure [2 adapted to partially enter the opening at 3, the conical sides bearing snugly against the edges of the opening. At the underside of the closure l2 a powder dispensing scoop is permanently secured. It is made from a single piece of sheet metal and bent into three sections one of which, I3, is secured, as by spot welding, to the underside of the closure I2. From the section l3 at its inner end a downwardly and inwardly inclined short section I4 is bent and from the lower end of the section i l the immediate powder engaging scoop member I5 ,is bent to lie underneath the section l3, and disposed at such an angle that when the lever is operated the scoop l5 substantially covers the opening 3 through which it normally passes into the receptacle.

The pivotal mounting of the lever upon the legs 6 of the support described is by means of tongues l6, one cut at each of the sides Ill and lying flat when cut, the tongues being integrally attached at their lower edges to the sides l0. Then when the lever is placed with the sides Ill over and against the sides of the legs 6 oi the support, the tongues [6 are pressed inwardly as shown in Fig. 5. The tongues [6 are of a width slightly less than the horizontal length of holes 8 whereby there may be the requisite adjustment if needed to permit the closure I2 to adjust itself to the opening 3 to snugly and tightly close the same. A coiled spring I! of light strength is disposed between the operating end of the lever and the well 4 in the top 2. Preferably in practice the sides ill of the lever will be slightly indented at 18 so that the spring may be forced past said indentations and then when the lever is turned over to be assembled with the U-shaped support the spring will be retained by the lever and not fall therefrom.

The spring II, when free to do so, turns the operating lever to the position shown in Fig. 1 thereby bringing the closure element 12 into position to close the opening at 3. In this position the scoop I5 is located within the cover 2. By inverting the receptacle l a substantially predetermined quantity of powder within the container will dispose itself between the scoop l5 and the part 13. Pressure on the opposite end of the lever moves the same to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby moving the scoop l5 and the powder which is carried thereby outside and in a position such that it may be readily applied to a brush. On release of the lever the spring I! automatically closes the opening at 3 and additional powder will not escape from the receptacle or container therefor.

The construction described is very economical to manufacture, is readily manufactured and assembled at low cost and is particularly simple, practical and effective in use and operation.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to .be considered comprehensive of all form of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

.1. In a device of the class described, a container having an outlet opening in a wall thereof, a closure member movably mounted on the container and having a closure element to close said opening, yielding means acting on the closure member for normally holding said closure element in operative position to close said opening, and a scoop connected to the closure element and adapted to pass through said opening in the container, said scoop being withdrawn from the container and carried outwardly through said opening on moving the closure member to move said closing element away from said opening.

2. In a device of the class described, a container having an opening in a wall thereof, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on said wall of the container, said lever having a closure element at one end adapted to close said opening, spring means acting on the other end of the lever, normally moving the closure element to operative closing position, and scoop means attached to said closure element and adapted to pass through said opening into the container when said closingelement is moved to operative closing position and being withdrawn through said opening from the container on manual operation of the lever in the opposite direction, as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, a container for powder or the like having an opening at one end, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on and carried by said container, said lever having a closing element adapted to be moved into position to close said opening, means for moving said lever to a position to close said opening, said means being yieldable whereby on manual operation of the lever the closing element is moved away from said opening, and a powder scoop means carried by said closing element passing through said opening into the container when the lever is moved to bring the closing element into operative closing position relative to said opening.

4. In a construction of the class described, a container for powder or the like having an opening in a wall thereof, a closing element for said opening located outside of the container and movable into position to close said opening or away therefrom to uncover the opening, and a scoop element attached directly to said closing element and having a part spaced from and located underneath the closing element, said part being withdrawn to carry powder outwardly through said opening on movement of the closing element away from said opening.

5. In combination, a container for powder or the like having an opening in a wall thereof, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on said container, a closing element having a flat inner surface on said lever, and a powder carrying member bent into a substantially U-shaped form having one leg thereof secured to the inner side of the closing element and the other leg spaced from and lying underneath the first leg and said closing element, said other leg operating to carry powder outwardly through said opening on pivotal movement of the lever to move the closing element away from said opening.

6. In a construction of the class described, a container for powder or the like having an opening in a wall thereof, a support permanently se cured to a wall of the container a distance from said opening, a lever pivotally mounted between its ends on said support having one end formed with a closure shaped to partly enter and to bear against the edges of said opening, a coiled spring between said container and the opposite end of the lever normally moving the closing element to closed position with respect to said opening, a scoop element permanently secured to the underside of said closing element and having a part spaced from and located underneath the closing element and of a size to freely pass through said opening, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 6, wherein said support comprises, a U-shaped member having outwardly extending spaced apart legs, each leg having an opening therethrough, and said lever includes inwardly extending wings passing one alongside each of said outwardly extending legs of the support, each of said wings having a tongue integral therewith at one side and severed therefrom at other sides, said tongues extending inwardly at an angle to the planes of said wings into the openings in the legs of the support.

ANTHONY VANDERVELD. 

